Alpha's success in any situation (whether church, workplace, prison or campus) depends on the quality of the leadership. It was John Maxwell who said, "Everything rises and falls with leadership." I used to be quite sceptical of this statement, thinking that perhaps this statement is undermining the role of the Holy Spirit in the church. However, having seen Alpha implemented in various contexts (churches, prisons, and workplaces) in the last 12 years, I have to admit that Alpha's success can be attributed solely to the type of leadership that is being exercised in that context.
But how does this reconcile with Alpha's own understanding that it is the Holy Spirit who ultimately determines the success of the ministry. However, we need to recognize that the issue is not human versus divine leadership. Clearly as Augustine was right when has wrote, "Without God we cannot; but without us, God will not." So it is really a cooperation between divine and human leadership. While it is true that it is ultimately God who ensures the success of any ministry, yet human leadership can facilitate or hinder the work of God. What kind of human leadership do we need to ensure Alpha's success in any context? I believe that the answer is simple but not easy--it is simply an empowering leadership as opposed to a controlling leadership.
The empowering leadership is actually working with God's Spirit. Jesus has said, "When the Spirit has come upon you, you shall receive power" (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit empowers every believer with His gifts. But to release these gifts among the Alpha team, the human leadership providing the oversight for the Alpha team has to empower the team to express freely God's gifts given to the team. When a church leadership is empowering rather than controlling, God can then fully express His leadership through the gifts of the people whom the Spirit has empowered.
Chee Min
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